BRITISH BIRDS. 13 



chestnut-red of tail less conspicuous and black of throat 

 and white forehead absent. Young birds in first year's 

 plumage resemble female, but on leaving the nest are 

 spotted like newly-fledged Redbreasts. 



A regular summer visitor, arriving about end of April, 

 and leaving in September. Breeds sparingly as far north 

 as Sutherland ; rare in some parts of Wales and Cornwall ; 

 in Ireland very rare, but has bred in Wicklow and Tyrone. 

 Nest : in holes and hollows of trees, at a moderate height ; 

 sometimes in holes of walls ; carelessly composed of moss, 

 roots and dry grasses, lined with hair and feathers. Eggs : 

 frequently 6, but I have seen 8 ; pale blue, very noticeably 

 paler than Hedge sparrow's ; rarely speckled ; size '73 by '55. 



17. Rutieilla titys (Seop.). BLACK REDSTART. 



Hab. Central and Southern Europe, east to southern 

 Russia ; also Asia Minor, Palestine, and (locally) North 

 Africa. In winter south to Africa. 



Male : upper plumage deep slate-grey ; wings dark-brown 

 with a very noticeable white patch upon secondaries ; 

 upper tail-coverts and tail (except two central feathers) 

 chestnut-red ; forehead, cheeks, throat and breast black ; 

 abdomen slate -grey ; under tail-coverts bright buff ; bill 

 and feet black. Length 5*75 ; wing with 4th primary 

 longest. After summer moult, black feathers of lower 

 parts are somewhat margined with grey. Adult female : 

 resembles female of common redstart but is much greyer 

 both above and below, and under wing-coverts are grey in 

 place of chestnut-buff. Immature birds are like female 

 but young males have an indistinct whitish patch on wing. 



According to the B. O. U. list, has bred in Notts ; has 

 also probably nested in Essex (Zool., 1888, p., 390) and 

 other counties. A regular winter visitor, in small numbers, 

 to our eastern and southern coasts ; occurs sparingly also 

 in south and east of Ireland ; to Scotland, a rare visitor. 



